Was diphtheria a pandemic?

1921-1925: Diphtheria epidemic Diphtheria peaked in 1921, with 206,000 cases . It causes swelling of the mucous membranes, including in your throat, that can obstruct breathing and swallowing. Sometimes a bacterial toxin can enter the bloodstream and cause fatal heart and nerve damage.

How was diphtheria treated in the 1920s?

Effective immunization against diphtheria was demonstrated early in the 20th century following administration of a mixture of diphtheria toxin and antitoxin. In the 1920s, it was shown that administration of heat-treated, formalin-inactivated toxin vaccine resulted in protective immunity.

How did they cure diphtheria?

Diphtheria treatment today involves: Using diphtheria antitoxin to stop the toxin made by the bacteria from damaging the body. This treatment is very important for respiratory diphtheria infections, but it is rarely used for diphtheria skin infections. Using antibiotics to kill and get rid of the bacteria.

Is diphtheria the plague?

Numbers continued to rise over the next 4 years, wreaking havoc and earning diphtheria the title of “Plague Among Children” from Noah Webster. Colonial records indicate that the disease had many other names including cynanche, angina, canker, bladders, rattles, and throat distemper.

What’s the worst pandemic in history?

The H1N1 influenza A pandemic of 1918–1920 (colloquially, but likely inaccurately, known as the Spanish flu) remains the deadliest pandemic of the modern age, with estimates of mortality ranging from 17 million to 100 million from an estimated 500 million infections globally (approximately a third of the global …

Where is diphtheria most commonly found?

Endemic in many countries in Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Since 2016, respiratory diphtheria outbreaks have occurred in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Venezuela, Haiti, South Africa, and Yemen.

Does diphtheria still exist?

Diphtheria rarely occurs in the United States and Western Europe, where children have been vaccinated against the condition for decades. However, diphtheria is still common in developing countries where vaccination rates are low.

What was black diphtheria?

The throat infection causes a gray to black, tough, fiber-like covering, which can block your airways. In some cases, diphtheria infects your skin first and causes skin lesions. Once you are infected, the bacteria make dangerous substances called toxins.